A review of the year
April 2008 - March 2009
The last year has been another busy period for the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre with a 27% increase in requests for help.
Whether this has been due to increased awareness of the centre’s services or an increased openness to seek support, we do not know.
What we do know is that centre staff have responded admirably to the challenge and I am very proud of the way in which they have coped.
The LJMC’s participation in the national patient information pilot has been an exciting project. Having been at the forefront of the provision of printed information for so many years, staff have been enthusiastic to see how new technology has been harnessed to improve the way in which we can serve patients.
The start of a research project, the study into the use of acupuncture and moxibustion for patients with lymphoedema, has been another milestone. Everyone is hugely excited at where this might lead and how it might affect patient care in the future.
Many of the LJMC’s departments have been involved in the Cancer Centre projects surrounding survivorship, part of the NHS Service Improvements Initiative. This has brought us closer to our Cancer Centre colleagues and strengthened the ways in which we work together.
Significantly, finance has been much at the forefront of everyone’s minds this year. No-one has been able to escape the effects of the credit crunch and we are particularly grateful to everyone for their generous and continued support.
With funding for the running of the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre coming from two stretched income streams, our ability to maintain services at the same levels has been very important.
As one would imagine, the NHS side of the LJMC’s funding is under regular scrutiny. The Appeals team works hard to ensure that the charitable aspect of our work, principally the complementary therapy service, is unaffected by the highs and lows of national economic fortunes.
The forthcoming year will present the LJMC with significant challenges in many areas. With an increase in requests for services, we have recently recruited new staff to the team to manage this demand.
The changing nature of support and information for people affected by cancer keeps us on our toes as we keep abreast of best practice and apply our resources to ensuring that the LJMC remains at the vanguard of patient care.
The LJMC team is special group of people and I pay tribute and thank each one of them for their commitment and contribution to the centre over the past year.
Thanks are also due to our loyal supporters who have helped us in so many ways, from giving their time as volunteers to financial support.
Thank you.
Rosemary Lucey
Head of Centre
Last updated: 23 July, 2009
